Mower County transcript., 1887-12-21


Ing itspp with Sn pi ieces sof string Into u funny
.littls knot M the top ot her heae, brig ghtlyl
polishing her poor aha bby bOots q and pre-
'senting her with a gay pictured pocket
3handk kerchief to carry IA heA hand !; ana he
had paid respects 10 the "a esls on nv pinninR
II few holly berries ~ the front sof her thin
worn 1rOCk. ss
55As they tered the room she hune.
,back, clinging snerv vously to hin, and look
Ing as scared a. though she expected that
ahe was going 10 ba beaten. Honor had
,some din deulty IN Ia ducing hert 10 loosen her
protector sa hand and take the stool pro
vided FOR her in q warm corner near the
fire, w hen she at lengt th sat down, she
$shrank timidl gainst the wall, as though
only destrous 10 escape notice Is ts#8ssI
81 All folt that little Annie needed sympa-
thy and kind mesa more than did any guest
there, u the soul were B To be kept much
longer in the great, mournful eyes, Most
pitiful of all was the Old look IN tho pinched,
white face. n She seemed 10 regard 10 with
q kind sof calm inanl lgence, 5as grown-up
children, playing ats life, which she had;
long seen the sad reality Of.
M AL went well and with music and chat
ting the time was spent very happily untiI
nine o. clock. Then, before the queer COM
HeSASy w - N00tOOs 0AVUAN S3gu0 tdUlS5S k1VUOCa
proposed that each one relate the history
Of the happisst moment Of his life. 5ss Il
Is The happiest momentl There was q puz.
zled, half doubtful expression In some Of
the faces as thoug III travelled back into the
past; but It presently disappeared and there
was 8 smile more or less expansive upon
every one's face. Even the poor lodger had
9 reticent smile upon his lips 90 he tnraed
his eyes meditatively toward the fire. i5i n
Ii Johnny led Oh. He admitted without
shame that the happiest moment Of his life
was when he was invited. to the party, and
SALLY had assured him that there would be-
all the 6rkey, mince pie and pudding that
he GOULD eat. His mother blushed over his
very materialistio idea Of happiness. Her
own story was this: II think the very
happiest moment have ever had was when
the manager at the warehouse promised to
give me shilling adozen extra for making
the shirts, for, y she added, looking around,
with adeprecatory little smile, as though
to apologize for the homeliness OF the cause
Of her happy moment, growing boys are
almost always hungry II, h
i Mrs. Parnell, when called upon to relate
Der story, coughed meditatively behind her
fan for moment or two and then gracious
" said that the happiest moment of her
life was when she danced with Lord Lang
land ct the tenantry ball, whom she was
Just eighteen. II .5s .s !s$ @5:5 M 81
h Grace Fairlie and Honor had some tlifn.
Guilty in keeping their countenances aA they
exchanged glances. Even the 'spoor lodger''
was evincing some signs Of having once
known how to laugh. But the others ap-
peared sufficiently impressed to satisfy
Mrs. Parnell, had she any misgivings upon
the point. She was gazing complacently
into the fire. She had simply related q
fact, and was too much absorbed in the
pleasant recollections it had called up to
notice any One's face sse5:.g III ,. y
Old Mamie thought the greatest amount
Of bliss she ever experienced was when she
outwitted the poor guardians and got her
"'lowance out 'stead OF going into the
house" The old soldier described how .
feeling that his mother was near him pull
ing him away from q trench during battle,
gave him his happiest moment, because
Just as he was fairly out shell burst in
the trsnch, and he knew that he had been
saved from certain death by the watchful
spirit OF his dead mother. II, sl
VS. IS :. But why didn't you have another dream
TO tell you to put your leg out OF the way
when the bullet was coming2n asked John
n.y. T: 3S
Il chose to take 1t into the way, my lad.'
somewhat absently replied James Brooks;
"besides that did me no hurt"
ttNo hurt to be shot3" }%s<
''Well, my boy, there's different ways Of
being hurt, as perhaps you'll find out as you
get older. I'd had my lesson, you see, and
didn't need to be taught over again =
But amt you going to tell u hoW you
got the. bullet in yourlega'' persisted John
ny. '.You didn't have that through the
dreama' ri. T. =, ~, ..tIs. s e. E.
1--WE got shot while / was fetching
out young'' -. He paused ruff1ing up
his scanty hair. ttBut am no hand at
telling them sort Of things. It isn't for me
to say why Pm q bit proud Of the bullet
carry about with me, ladies and gentlemen.
Perhaps it will be enough ii / say that it
brought ME this" touching the cross upon
his breast and rather shyiy adding: t'It
was French officer that was saved, an
only SOM ---. here he gazed afar of dream
lily, and cut short his story. I. q >.
The .'poor lodger," when asked to tell his
story, begged to be excused for q little
longer, and gave way to Sally, who, after
some stammering, said In high delight,
glancing shyly around: ..s s5sss.$
t#3.''It was last night, then: He met me
fetching the supper beer, and he said he'd
got enough saved for q tidy bit Of furni-
ture, and q little put by for q rainy day, as
well as regular work, SO there was no caA
to watt S.5s ss,$, ss1sA sS .51 9ts5
b Everybody graduated Sally, andsAunt
Margaret said thai he ought to have been
invited, at which, amidst merry laugh
from all, Sally, with very red face, said:
..He isn't so fur OF as he couldn't be found
= Ino